Changing the Linen for multiweek rentals

[Clexane]

We are in a lively debate in our household on the topic about changing of Linen for a multiweek rental - and what this actually means.

How this came about is a new booking for three weeks in September (Yeh Holiday rentals FINALLY came through ), anyway, this is our first multiweek with Linen included.

Now the debate is : Do you change the sheets (and perhaps towels) weekly or Is this a Self catering (well it is) and that means they take care of matters themselves and clean them if they wish.

The immediate implications for this run deeper because up until now we havent had a booking wanting Linen and towels back to back, so a mid rental change would require a completely new set. Now we know that we probably would need a second set eventually but for this season we thought we got away with it.

What do you all do? What do you think?

[Alan Knighting]

Clexane,

We supply full change of fresh linen and towels each Saturday, come what may.

Alan

[Sue Dyer]

hi, we don't live next to our rental so we've left a change of linen and plenty of towels for two week rentals - we've never had a 3 week!! It's up to them if they want to change the bed half way or not. We used to automatically give a small discount because we weren't having to go up and service the place but now only do that if they ask.

[enid]

We have a couple in for a month at the moment and we do do a full linen and towel change each week - but not a clean. I like to do the bed change myself as a service but we live on site so that's easy for us. Clients have fed back that it's great coming back from a day out to find the beds and towels changed.

[roxytoo]

We personally do

'Is this a Self catering (well it is) and that means they take care of matters themselves and clean them if they wish. '

anything over a 2 week rental and I've always assumed it's 'up to them'!!

Course we have so much linen I am expecting the day will come when my property management go in to do the clean and find everything has been used (as has happened to friends of mine, washing machine was on 18 times apparently) but touch wood, up till now, most people change when they wish and also leave them clean and ironed!! so I think I've been real lucky

[mindadowling]

We change linen and towels and do a light clean (bathroom and kitchen) on the Saturday for a multi week stay. This is really appreciated by the guests and lets us keep an eye on how much wear and tear the place is getting.

[Fraise]

Um,for 2 weeks I just leave plenty of towels ( back to THAT topic again ) and let them wash as required.I don't leave spare linen...I don't live on site.For 3 weeks( which I've not had yet) I think I'd either leave spare linen or else ask if it's OK to go in and change the sheets mid way?In which case I'd change the towels as well and maybe not leave the second set? Whatever, I think you need to go SHOPPING, yay!!!

www.thepetitmanoir.com

[vrooje]

We give the tenants the option of having the housekeeper come in every Saturday of their stay to change the linens and do a quick cleaning. If they say they'd like that, it's included in the price, but actually about half of the time the client would rather just wash the linens themselves.

Asking the question in the first place makes it clear that unless they tell us different, there will be no cleaning during their stay.

[tansy]

we go in....it's a great way to check that the house is indeed being looked after....sheets/towels etc all changed - we do a clean but NOT a tidy...

I did have a family in for 5 weeks...one week my cleaners told me that the cream canvas chairs were covered in crayon drawings (triplets aged 4), on handover the chairs were immaculate - but 3 weeks later looked terrible....the cleaning stuff she used was great but didn't hold!!

Up to you, but I say a weekly clean is included in the price...I would rather know before the next folk are due what I'm facing!

[debk]

I say a weekly clean is included in the price...I would rather know before the next folk are due what I'm facing!

Agreed. A quick change of sheets & some towels thrown in the wash while the floors are swept is a good way to keep an eye on things... while making the guests feel cared for.

[paolo]

My approach to this is based on pragmatism. I have to employ my cleaning lady as much as possible because if she has weeks where I have no work for her she will be less inclined to carry on working Saturdays for me.

So I include a complimentary Saturday clean for stays of over a week, and it seems like a good idea to include change of bedding and towels in this. Like a hotel maid service.

And of course you won't get sheets and towels a different colour to how you bought them.

If your set-up allows it, I think it's a good idea - and you can use it in your marketing as a differentiator from your competition.

[A-two]

My approach to this is based on pragmatism. I have to employ my cleaning lady as much as possible because if she has weeks where I have no work for her she will be less inclined to carry on working Saturdays for me.

Paolo,
I completely agree with you. We need to gaurantee regular weekly work from May thu end of August, otherwise most likely the rates would go up $5 an hour to cover the fact that it's irregular. From September thru May, it's an ad hoc arrangement, and they don't seem to mind that, but in height of summer everyone here relies on the work being there for them and I think we have to respect that.

This is the first summer that I have 2 families with 2 week bookings, so I'm calling the middle clean a "partial clean", not thinking about saving money so much as guests would prefer less disturbance than a really thorough clean would involve.

How long do you think is a reasonable time for the cleaners to be in the house? We have two. Is it going to be more disruptive with two in the house, or do you find the guests normally go out anyway? Do you include things like wiping down all outdoor furniture, finger prints off windows and glass doors, cleaning oven etc.?

I appreciate that many folks on the forum do not live close to their rentals, but we do and part of our appeal (I think) is the personal touch on arrival and being in the area if things go wrong. So I'm also wondering whether to turn up myself. I don't want to appear to be "inspecting", but at the same time, I'm not sure we can rely on the cleaners to notice everything, like a blown light bulb for example.

Regards,
Joanna

[tansy]

Joanna - I too live locally - I see my folk in if they arrive at a reasonable time - then that's that I leave them to it.

Mid stay clean I never go - I find out from them what time suits them best (we have 2 houses every Saturday so timing is all important here!) either the 1st clean 10 a.m. or after mid day - normally the guests are out - my cleaners have keys.

We change all the beds, clean bathrooms, clean the kitchen, cooker, microwave (not the fridge interior) hoover the whole house, wash all the floors and dust. We do not do a tidy - if they leave the place like a bomb site then it is minimal cleaning around their stuff ( I can't believe how some folk spend their holidays, open suitcases throughout and complete chaos - makes me look fiendishly tidy - which is stretching the imagination ).

The cleaners are there for perhaps 2 maybe 3 hours.

But outside furnitures etc - up to you - I look at it what I would want from my cleaner at home - I'm fortunate that my lady helps me here at my home as well so she's in tune with my standards - she has some funny ideas but I am happy with them...lots & lots of bleach (sorry the other thread re green - but bleach here is friendlier as it has to be suitable for our fosse septiques and we're greener re cycling here in Normandy)

But if a mirror has finger prints etc she will naturally clean it.

We stayed in a self catering place in Bermuda that had maid service every day - wasn't intrusive at all, she made the beds swept up, no tidying - that is basically our weekly clean.

Hope that helps

[Ju]

We do a weekly clean, change beds etc. It's not as thorough as a changeover but it makes the changeover the week after much easier. Not everyone wants it though so we give the option (we find that guests that bring Grandma with them don't want the extra clean and the place is always immaculate).

I don't change the towels though, all our properties have washing machines so if needed they can wash them themselves.

If you don't already have a second set of linen, I suggest you get one anyway. There are times when you need them, such as when you find a dirty mark when making up the bed that you swear wasn't there when you ironed!

Ju

[Clexane]

Thanks Everybody,

That has been helpful. We will probably go for a weekly change but not necessarily a clean of the house. That means it is time to go shopping.... there goes the budget - again (actually the budget has been dead and buried for a long time - Wow it costs money to set the place up!!!)

Anybody know a place to buy good quality but cheap towels and linen in France? Have I understood that people actually iron the linen?? We dont do this at home!

Now do we go for white towels or coloured is the big question. At least with white we can bleech them if they get stained - or is that a bad plan?